PDO

The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designate products that have been produced, processed and developed in a specific geographical area, using the recognized know-how of local producers and ingredients from the region concerned.

European Regulation 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 acknowledges a priority to establish a community protection system that ensures equal conditions of competition between producers. This European Regulation is intended to guarantee the reputation of regional products, adapt existing national protections to make them comply with the requirements of the World Trade Organization, and inform consumers that products bearing the protected designation of origin logo comply with the conditions of production and origin specified by the designation. The Regulation applies to certain agricultural products and foods for which there is a link between the characteristics of the product or the food and its geographical origin: they may be wines, cheeses, hams, sausages, olives, beers, fruits, vegetables, breads or animal feed.

The protected names are entered in the European "register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications", or "EU Quality Register" for short, which is maintained by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

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Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect names of agricultural products and foodstuffs, wines and spirits.
Italy has the largest number of PDO and PGI olive oils in the European Union.

PDO

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

The protected designation of origin is the name of an area, a specific place or, in exceptional cases, the name of a country, used as a designation for an agricultural product or a foodstuff,
- which comes from such an area, place or country,
- whose quality or properties are significantly or exclusively determined by the geographical environment, including natural and human factors,
- whose production, processing and preparation take place within the determined geographical area.
To receive the PDO status, the entire product must be traditionally and entirely manufactured (prepared, processed and produced) within the specific region and thus acquire unique properties.